DHA cops booked after report blames police for minor girl’s death

The forensic examination of last week’s encounter in the Defence police jurisdiction that left a 10-year-old girl dead after she was caught in the crossfire has revealed that the bullets that the minor had suffered were fired by the police.

District South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Omer Shahid Hamid said that on August 13 an encounter took place at the main Korangi Road, between Akhtar Colony and the Ittehad crossing signal.

SSP Hamid said a notorious robber who had looted 11 people during the same night was shot dead in the encounter, adding that FIRs of his robberies were lodged at the Defence police station and subsequent investigations initiated.

The officer said that during the encounter 10-year-old Amal, daughter of Omer Adil, was believed to have been killed by the firing of the robber. However, he added, the police started investigating into the matter and found out that the minor was gunned down during crossfire.

The SSP said they confiscated the official rifles and the weapon found on the robber as well as impounded the vehicle that was in use of the girl’s father, adding that they despatched the spent bullet shells for examination to the Sindh police’s forensic division and also had an autopsy done on the minor. On August 16 the Karachi police chief, Additional Inspector General of Police Amir Ahmed Shaikh, visited Adil’s house and informed him that an inquiry had been ordered into the encounter. Sheikh appointed District South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jawed Odho the inquiry officer of the case.

According to the police officer, the inquiry team under the supervision of South DIG Odho inspected the vehicle and all the weapons as well as the reports submitted in the case.

Finally, on August 17, the forensic report submitted to the inquiry team head with the closed-circuit television footage available of the encounter found out that constables Jawed and Babar were patrolling the area on their motorcycles when they spotted a robbery.

The policemen shouted for the suspects to surrender, but they opened fire on the constables, who retaliated. During the exchange of fire, a robber was killed while a bullet pushed through Adil’s vehicle and injured his daughter, who later succumbed to her injuries. An FIR against the cops has been lodged and further investigations are under way.